Watchband calendar and business card holder

ABSTRACT

Watchband calendar members are defined by a cut pattern on a single flexible metal sheet in such a manner that they may be successively removed from the sheet and used. The sheet includes holding tabs arranged to slidably receive a business card which overlies the calendar members and helps support them in the plane of the sheet prior to removal.

United States Patent [1 1 Petrie [451 July 17,1973

[ WATCHBAND CALENDAR AND BUSINESS CARD HOLDER [76] Inventor: Patrick Petrie, 12210 Malone St.,

Los Angeles, Calif. 1

[22] Filed: Dec. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 207,092

Simpson .7 411 151: n

1,474,174 11/1923 Segall 40/158 8 3,513,580 5/1970 Agres 40/107 2,262,058 1l/194l Sinclair 40/158 B 3,556,291 1/1971 Sebring 40/21 C Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. Wolff Attorneylastoriza & Kelly [57] ABSTRACT Watchband calendar members are defined by a cut pattern on a single flexible metal sheet in such a-manner 1 that they may be successively removed from the sheet and used. The sheet includes holding tabs arranged to slidably receive a business card which overlies the calendar members and helps support them in the plane of the sheet prior to removal.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures SEN 1 NE (bbo) il -10o:

100 nsr :4

MILF l lLLC I PATENTEB .3.745.679

WATCHBAND CALENDAR AND BUSINESS CARD HOLDER This invention relates generally to watchband calendars and more particularly to a novel holder manufactured at the same time as the calendar members and designed to receive a business card for convenience of a person carrying the watchband calendars.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The most common types of watchband calendars take the form of thin rectangular sheets of metal having laterally extending tabs arranged to be manually bent under the longitudinal edges of a watchband to hold the sheet on the watchband surface. The exposed side of the sheet may have one or more monthly calendars imprinted thereon so that a user can readily refer to the calendar on his watchband to determine a date. Since the individual sheets or members upon which the calendar is imprinted are relatively small, thin and flexible, it is awkward for a person to carry a supply on his per son. Various types of watchbnad calendar holders or dispensing cases have been proposed adapted to hold a supply of twelve calendars to make up a year. However, even these devices constitute an extra accessory which a person may carry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention contemplates an improved watchband calendar armagement wherein a full years supply of calendars are made available in an extremely compact configuration which also serves the function of holding a persons business card all to the end that an overall package not substantially larger than the business card itself is provided. This overall package or holder may be carried with a persons business cards in his wallet or in a conventional business card holder.

In accord with the invention, the holder comprises a single thin flexible metal sheet of rectangular shape having a cut pattern formed therein defining the outline of at least one watchband calendar member of smaller rectangular shape having laterally extending tabs. The outline is closed except for one portion constituting an integral connection to the metal sheet so that the member can be bent out of the plane of the sheet and the one portion broken to enable easy removal of the member for securement to a watchband.

The member itself has at least one and preferably four calendars on one of its surfaces so that it will serve for aperiod of four months. Preferably the sheet itself includes cut-out patterns defining two additional watchband calendar members each of which contains four months so that a complete years supply is available in a single sheet.

The sheet itself includes cut portions defining holding tabs outside of the outline of the members for slidably receiving a business card in a position eclipsing the members and also helping to support the members in the plane of the sheet prior to removal. The geometry of the cut patterns defining the three calendar members is such that maximum usage is made of the metallic sheet so that a compact configuration results which is of substantially the same size as the persons business card.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A better understanding of the invention will be had by now referring to a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the watchband calendar and business card holder of the present invention illustrating a business card preparatory to being received in the holder;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the holder itself taken in the direction of the arrow 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the holder showing one of the calendar members removed preparatory to bein affixed to a watchband; and,

FIG. 4 illustrates the removed calendar of FIG. 3 in position on a watchband.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1 the invention comprises a single thin flexible metal sheet 10 of rectangular shape having a cut pattern formed therein defining the outline of at least one and preferably three watchband calendar members. The three cuts are illustrated at I], 12 and 13 to define the calendar members indicated at 11', 12' and 13' respectively. The outline for each member is closed'except for one portion constituting an integral connection to the metal sheet 10 so that the member can be bent out of the plane of the sheet and the portion broken to enable easy removal of the member. The integral connections are indicated at 14, I5 and 16 adjacent to Iongitudinaledges of the sheet 10.

The sheet 10 also includes cut portions defining holding tabs 17, 18 and 19 also adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the sheet for slidably receiving a business card such as indicated at 20. When the card 20' is received within the holding tabs 17, 18 and 19 it will substantially eclipse the member, the dotted position 20' indicating the final positioning of the card. In addition, the card will help hold the members in the plane of the sheet 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates clearly the holding tabs 17 and 19 formed by the cut portion in the sheet.

This sectional view is taken down the center of the calendar member 12' and thus the small integral connection to the sheet appears integral as shown at 15. A portion of the cut pattem 12 is shown at the upper end of the member 12'.

FIG. 3 illustrates the sheet holder 10 with the first calendar member 11' removed therefrom. The small integral connection 14 is shown broken, this being accomplished by the user simply bending the member out of the plane of the sheet 10.

Each of the calendar members themselves are identical and thus a detailed description of one will suffice for all. Thus with particular reference to the member 11', this structure includes a rectangular portion 21 of smaller dimensions than the rectangular sheet 10. As shown, the top surface of this member includes a four month calendar consisting of four individual one month calendars 22. The member includes laterally extending tabs 23, 24, 25 along one longitudinal side and 26, 27 and 28 along the opposite longitudinal side.

FIG. 4 illustrates how these tabs may be bent manually about the longitudinal edges of a watchband 29 to secure the member in place on the band to expose the four calendars.

In FIG. 3', the businesscard 20 is shown partially inserted into the holder 10 wherein it will be noted it has eclipsed completely the third member 13' while a portion only of the member 12' is exposed.

With reference once again to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the rectangular shape of the three members 11', 12 and 13 are oriented with their long dimensions at right angles to the long dimension of the rectangular sheet 10, these members being disposed in side by side relation, the center member 12' being staggered relative to the outside members 11' and 13' such that the laterally extending tabs of the center member are interleaved with the adjacent laterally extending tabs of the outside members. The cut portions defining the holding tabs 17, 18 and 19, in turn, are adjacent the ends of the three members that are positioned furthest from the marginal longitudinal edges of the sheet. By this arrangement, optimum use of the area of the sheet is realized in defining the outlines of the members and the card holding tabs so that minimum overall dimensions prevail.

OPERATION In operation, it is a very simple manufacturing operation to form entire year calendars by a single die defining the cut patterns described in conjunction with FIG. 1. This die by means of a single stamping operation can thus form very rapidly large numbers of the sheets each sheet including the three watchband calendar members. Since there are four monthly calendars imprinted on each member, each sheet will hold an entire years supply.

A user can very readily slightly bend the holding tabs l7, l8 and 19 sufficiently to slidably receive his busi' ness card such as indicated at 20 in FIG. 1. As stated, this card will serve to hold the calendars substantially in the plane of the sheet 10. Further, since the overall rectangular dimensions of the sheet 10 itself are not appreciably greater than that of the card 20, the assembly can readily be carried in the conventional business card case or simply in a person s pocket used to carry business cards.

The user will normally detach the first member such as 11 as described in conjunction with FIG. 3 and secure the same to his watchband by bending the tabs. After four months have passed, the user can easily slide out his card and remove the next calendar member containing the next four months of the year and substitute that on his watchband for the one used up. The process is repeated for the last four months so that the holder is usable for an entire year.

By making the base portions of the tabs thinner such as indicated at t in FIG. 3, the bending of the tabs about the watchband is facilitated, the bend itself occurring at the point of connection of the tab to the member. Further, it is preferable to position the members such as 12' slightly out of the plane of the sheet 10 without breaking the connection 15 as shown in FIG. 2 so that complete removal is also facilitated. Insertion of the card will tend to bias the member into the plane of the sheet so that a compact configuration results.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that the present invention has thus provided a very inexpensive simple, and useful watchband calendar and business card holder wherein various advantages are readily apparent over proposed prior systems for conveniently carrying watchband calendars.

What is claimed is:

l. A watchband calendar and business card holder comprising: a single thin flexible metal sheet of rectangular shape having three cut patterns formed therein, each pattern defining the outline of a watchband calendar member of smaller rectangular shape having laterally extending tabs, said outline being continuous except for one portion constituting an integral connection to said metal sheet so that the members can be bent out of the plane of the sheet and the integral connections broken to enable successive easy removal of the members for securement to a watchband, each of the members having four monthly calendars impressed on one of its surfaces thereby comprising a calendar year, the long rectangular dimensions of all of the members being oriented at right angles to the long dimension of said rectangular sheet and being disposed in side by side relationship, the center member being staggered relative to the outside members such that the laterally extending tabs of the center member are interleaved with the adjacent laterally extending tabs of the outside members, said sheet including cut portions defining three holding tabs adjacent those ends of the three members that are positioned furthest from the marginal longitudinal edges of said sheet respectively, said cut portions defining holding tabs outside of the outline of said members for slidably receiving a business card in a position to lie against the members to help support them in the plane of said sheet prior to removal, whereby optimum use of the area of said sheet is realized in defining the outlines of the members and the card holding tabs. 

1. A watchband calendar and business card holder comprising: a single thin flexible metal sheet of rectangular shape having three cut patterns formed therein, each pattern defining the outline of a watchband calendar member of smaller rectangular shape having laterally extending tabs, said outline being continuous except for one portion constituting an integral connection to said metal sheet so that the members can be bent out of the plane of the sheet and the integral connections broken to enable successive easy removal of the members for securement to a watchband, each of the members having four monthly calendars impressed on one of its surfaces thereby comprising a calendar year, the long rectangular dimensions of all of the members being oriented at right angles to the long dimension of said rectangular sheet and being disposed in side by side relationship, the center member being staggered relative to the outside members such that the laterally extending tabs of the center member are interleaved with the adjacent laterally extending tabs of the outside members, said sheet including cut portions defining three holding tabs adjacent those ends of the three members that are positioned furthest from the marginal longitudinal edges of said sheet respectively, said cut portions defining holding tabs outside of the outline of said members for slidably receiving a business card in a position to lie against the members to help support them in the plane of said sheet prior to removal, whereby optimum use of the area of said sheet is realized in defining the outlines of the members and the card holding tabs. 